Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for the better regulation of bailiffs.

Lord McNally: We have given a commitment to provide more protection against bailiffs. Better regulation of bailiffs is one of the strands that will need to be considered.

Benefits: Jobseeker's Allowance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what entitlements to contributions-based jobseeker's allowance nationals of the A8 countries have if out of work whilst exercising treaty rights in the United Kingdom.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what entitlements to contributions-based jobseeker's allowance nationals of the A2 countries have if out of work whilst exercising treaty rights in the United Kingdom.

Lord Freud: A national of either an A2 or an A8 country will be entitled to contributions-based jobseeker's allowance if they have paid the required national insurance contributions in the relevant income tax years.
	If their UK national insurance record is not sufficient to meet the jobseeker's allowance contribution conditions, the UK will use their social insurance payments in another member state to help.

Census

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to use the data on languages gathered in the next census.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Baroness Coussins, dated May 2010.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how the data on languages gathered in the next census is intended to be used. (HL25)
	The topics and questions included in the 2011 Census are the result of a four year period of extensive assessment and consultation with census users including central and local government, business, academics and members of the public.
	The new questions on language in the England and Wales census will ask about the main language used and ability in speaking English and Welsh in Wales. These questions will help central government, local authorities and the NHS plan their resources and service provision for language support and translation services for non-English speakers, and in particular the impact of English (or Welsh) language ability on employment and other social inclusion indicators. Information on the number of British Sign Language (BSL) users will inform service planning and assist in developing policies to address the deaf community's needs.
	Government departments who have expressed a requirement for information on languages were the Department for Health, the Department of Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Home Office and the Welsh Assembly Government. Local authorities, academics, and special interest groups also expressed a need for such information.
	A separate question on Welsh language will again be asked in Wales-as has been done in one form or other since the 1891 Census. Responses will provide information that will be used to measure the change in Welsh language proficiency to inform policy development and monitoring and to inform local resource allocation.

Control Orders

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have on the issuing of control orders on individuals suspected of terrorist offences where there is insufficient evidence to lay charges.

Baroness Neville-Jones: As set out in Our Programme for Government, published on 20 May, the Government will urgently review control orders, as part of a wider review of counterterrorist legislation, measures and programmes.

Copyright

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reform the law on copyright.

Baroness Wilcox: Copyright is extremely important to the UK's creative industries. As Minister for Intellectual Property, I want to ensure that we have a copyright framework that delivers the right outcomes for the UK. Our copyright framework is largely set by international treaty and by European law. I recognise that there are many who call for reform or improvement to the current law, and I am also aware that there are many differing prescriptions for the way ahead, both in the UK and internationally. I look forward to hearing all these views and to reflecting further on them.

Education: Languages

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next meeting of the inter-sector forum set up following the recommendation of Professor Worton's Review of Modern Foreign Languages provision in higher education in England will be held; and who will be its chair.

Baroness Wilcox: We welcome Professor Worton's useful report. No date has yet been set for a further meeting of the forum. Nor has a decision been taken about the chair. Decisions are likely to be taken on this in the summer.

Extremism

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect their review of the Prevent programme on extremism to be completed; whether it will be published; and, if so, in what form.

Baroness Neville-Jones: We shall review Prevent to ensure that it is well focused and to look at aspects of its delivery. We will make a further announcement shortly on the way we will do this.

Fluoridation

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will list the current water fluoridation schemes in operation in the United Kingdom, by Strategic Health Authority, water company, and dates of commencement including dates of any partial cessation.

Earl Howe: All or major part of the areas listed below are served by artificial fluoridation schemes. Information is not held centrally on the commencement date of individual schemes or the precise areas covered, but the overall programme of current schemes commenced in the West Midlands in 1964 and proceeded until full implementation of all the existing schemes by the late 1980s. The only major cessations have been in West Cumbria over the period 1994 to 2006.
	West Midlands SHA
	Birmingham;
	Coventry;
	Dudley;
	Sandwell;
	Shropshire;
	Solihull;
	South Staffordshire;
	Walsall;
	Warwickshire;
	Wolverhampton; and
	Worcestershire
	East Midlands SHA
	North and West Lincolnshire;
	Ashfield, Bassetlaw and Mansfield.
	East of England SHA
	Bedford.
	North East SHA
	Newcastle and Gateshead.
	North West SHA
	East Cheshire; and
	West Cumbria.

Fluoridation

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will list the manufacturers and suppliers of the fluoridation agent, and the description and percentage of the chemical compound used, in each of the current fluoridation schemes in the United Kingdom.

Earl Howe: This information is not held centrally. These are matters for strategic health authorities to agree with water undertakers in contracting for fluoridation schemes within the provisions of the Water Industry Act 1991 which prescribe which fluoride compounds may be used and the concentrations permitted.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will be extended to academies, examination boards, the Higher Education Statistics Agency and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services.

Lord McNally: The Government intend to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency. We are currently considering how best to give effect to this aim, one option for which is making further bodies subject to the Act.

Health: Cardiology

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of cardiac technicians in the National Health Service trained in the use of pacemakers and defibrillators; and what measures are in place to achieve remote monitoring of those devices.

Earl Howe: It is for local National Health Service trusts to decide how many cardiac technicians they employ in their area. We will continue to work with industry and the NHS to promote patient access to new technologies, but it is important to realise that not all technologies are appropriate for everyone-it is up to clinicians to make a decision in discussion with patients about the most suitable treatment in each case.

Health: Head Injuries

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to the report to the Department of Health from the head injury support service Temple Head on the detection and care of brain injury; and what action they will take on its recommendations.

Earl Howe: Department of Health officials have recently received a copy of the report and will be discussing the findings with representatives of Temple Head in due course.

Healthcare: Technology

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned into the social benefits of healthcare technologies, as recommended by the Kennedy study of valuing innovation.

Earl Howe: The department commissioned the University of York to assess the potential implications of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence adopting alternative economic perspectives. The University of York's report was published in January 2010 and is available at www.york.ac.uk/inst/che/pdf/rp54.pdf.

Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ratify Protocol 7 to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Lord McNally: The Government have not yet taken a decision on whether to ratify the seventh protocol, but will consider the issue in due course.

Marie Stopes International

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints have been received by the Department of Health about Marie Stopes International in the past three years for which figures are available.

Earl Howe: The department has received one complaint about Marie Stopes International in the past three years.

NHS: Car Parking

Baroness Thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for introducing free car parks at hospitals.

Earl Howe: The Government are considering this area and will make further announcements in due course.

NHS: Costs

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase the powers of general practitioners to commission care and to reduce NHS administrative costs; and whether agencies and arm's-length bodies will reduce the number of Primary Care Trust commissioners.

Earl Howe: TheCoalition: Our Programme for Government confirms this Government's intention to empower general practitioners to commission care on behalf of patients and to reduce the cost of National Health Service administration by a third. The document also describes the new role and functions envisaged for primary care trusts. We will bring forward more detailed proposals in due course.

NHS: Foundation Trusts

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government which hospital trusts have been recommended by Strategic Health Authorities as unsustainable following the Health Act 2009; and what action has been taken on those recommendations.

Earl Howe: There are currently no hospital trusts that strategic health authorities have requested be transferred into the regime for unsustainable National Health Service providers, which is outlined in the Health Act (Sections 15 to 18).

NHS: Primary Care Trusts

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure that Primary Care Trusts market test their community services in the interests of increasing competition and improving NHS efficiency.

Earl Howe: Primary care trusts (PCTs) should commission health services, including community health services, to ensure that these best meet the needs of patients, are efficient and provide good value for money. PCTs are required to demonstrate to the department that their proposals for the future provision of community services will drive improvements in quality and efficiency and are sustainable.

Northern Ireland: Advocate-General

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is the Advocate-General for Northern Ireland; and whether that person has the power to terminate prosecutions in Northern Ireland, decide that sentences may be reviewed, and review sentences.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: Section 27 of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 provides that the Attorney-General for England and Wales shall, by virtue of that office, also be the Advocate-General for Northern Ireland. The powers of the Advocate-General are solely statutory and are contained in Part 2 of and Schedule 7 to the 2002 Act. They do not include the powers referred to by the noble Lord.

Poverty

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to reduce poverty levels, in support of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Lord Freud: The promotion of social justice and the fight against poverty is at the heart of the Government's programme.
	Work provides the most sustainable route out of poverty, so our first priority will be to reduce the deficit and restore economic growth so that more people can benefit from the proceeds of a strong and competitive economy. The changes to national insurance outlined in the Queen's Speech will save jobs and support economic growth, contributing to the reduction of poverty.
	We will reduce poverty by understanding and addressing the root causes and drivers of poverty, particularly family breakdown, educational failure, addiction, debt and worklessness, and economic dependency. A social justice committee, chaired by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, will consider issues relating to poverty, equality and social justice and will ensure the integration of policies to combat poverty across government.
	To get those people on benefits into work and out of poverty we will simplify the benefits system and address prohibitive and regressive marginal tax rates which too often act as a barrier to moving from benefits to work. These policies will make sure that work always pays.
	We will therefore reform back-to-work support, and move toward a single employment programme offering targeted, personalised help, ensuring that support is available to those who need it most, sooner rather than later. The work programme will be delivered by providers from the private, public and voluntary sectors. We expect funding to be more heavily focused on outcome payments so that the results providers achieve are aligned more closely with the payments they receive.

Retirement Age

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to phase out the default retirement age.

Baroness Wilcox: We are committed to phasing out the default retirement age, but it is important to do this in a way that allows individuals and employers to adapt to the new situation. BIS and the DWP have assembled a considerable body of evidence on this issue. Once this has been analysed we will set out the way forward.

Shipping: MV "Anja"

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether MV "Anja", on charter to South American Atlantic Services Ltd of Stanley, Falkland Islands, has been compelled by Argentine authorities to sail from Punta Arenas, Chile, and round Cape Horn rather than travelling straight from Punta Arenas to the Falkland Islands.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Decisions on shipping routes taken by privately owned vessels are for masters or owners to make.
	But the Government are aware of Argentine Presidential Decree 256 which purports to require prior authorisation for shipping to and from Argentina and the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. We have delivered a formal protest to the Government of Argentina, making it clear that we firmly reject it. We do not believe that decree 256 is compliant with international law, including the UN law of the sea. The Department for Transport has also issued such advice to the industry.

Vehicles: Automatic Plate Recognition

Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to restrict the use of vehicle registration number-plate recognition cameras.

Baroness Neville-Jones: In keeping with our pledge to safeguard freedoms and protect civil liberties we believe it important to ensure that the use of automatic number-plate recognition technology is proportionate in order to command public confidence. We will therefore be considering whether more needs to be done to strengthen controls and safeguards relating to its use.